Audiences - can't live with them, can't live without them

Devoted and Disgruntled Archivist

Participants: Joyce, Andrea, Angus, Suzy and two others whose name I missed.

We raised more questions than we answered including the following:

1. How can we make our art more appealing? 2. How can small end theatre survive? 3. How can well sell more tickets? 4. How can we work better with audiences? 5. Why do people go to the theatre?

6. How can we involve audiences? 7. What makes live performance live? 8. How can we surprise audiences? 9. How do we engage audiences and create a buzz leading to word of mouth (WOM?)

Participants suggested some formats that worked for them, such as Big Man Walking in Glasgow, Luminere Light Show in Durham, the play, pie and pint at lunchtime, post play chat with audience over a free glass of wine etc.

Some recommendations or considerations were as follow:

1. Audience brings people together for a common experience 2. Need to think hard about how to reach people and move them

3. Never take audiences for granted 4. Experiment with ways to involve the audience 5. Can your audience become a community that sustains your company? 6. Can you develop structures to support the relationship between audience and company?

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